Abstract

In the large volume of research on curriculum reform, very little attention is paid to the implications of geographical location, yet, this can be significant. The current curriculum reform process in Wales has presented an opportunity for schools to radically change their practice. While rural schools have welcomed this opportunity, they face challenges unrecognised by the wider educational establishment. This article presents a view of the reform process from school level, using data from semi‐structured interviews with teachers working on curriculum reform. Thematic analysis reveals enthusiastic responses to reform and the greater autonomy it promises. There are, however, challenges, including concerns about staffing, access to professional learning and learners' access to extra‐curricular learning. The research demonstrates that while rural schools face challenges unique to their location, their response to reform demonstrates a capacity for independent action in line with the aspirations of the new curriculum.

Highlights

  • Introduction and background literatureThe current curriculum reform process in Wales, following the publication of Successful Futures (Donaldson, 2015), has presented an opportunity for schools to radically change their practice, developing a curriculum ‘Designed by teachers

  • Welsh Government initiated a reform process led by a network of Pioneer Schools, chosen both for their consistently strong performance and to represent the diversity of schools across Wales, including rural schools (Welsh Government, 2017a)

  • The constant factor for the Pioneer Lead teachers was their involvement in AoLE meetings; semi-structured interviews allowed them to share their reflections on the experience (Ellili-Cherif & Hadba, 2017; Peterson & Bentley, 2017)

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Summary

Introduction

The current curriculum reform process in Wales, following the publication of Successful Futures (Donaldson, 2015), has presented an opportunity for schools to radically change their practice, developing a curriculum ‘Designed by teachers. This paper, based on a small-scale exploratory study, examines the diverse responses of rural schools to the process and explores the impact of context on curriculum development. Welsh Government initiated a reform process led by a network of Pioneer Schools, chosen both for their consistently strong performance and to represent the diversity of schools across Wales, including rural schools (Welsh Government, 2017a). Interviews with key staff from a sample of rural Pioneer Schools illuminated the schools’ experience of the process.

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